How a 23-year-old who had never sewn anything got a garment worn on live TV in nine months. Told by Eslam Gazelle (EP 9).
Eslam drew a fashion design and posted it on Instagram, tagging a well-known Egyptian public figure — a former Miss Egypt with a TV show. The woman saw the image and left a comment: she would wear it if the opportunity arose.
Eslam's instinct was immediate: strike while the iron is hot. She had never sewn, never made a garment, had no experience in fashion production. But she was determined.
She found a teacher — Phil Bolan, a lecturer in Fashion Retail Enterprise — who told her: "You have to make the kaftan." She worked with a sewing workshop for a week during Ramadan.
From the Instagram comment to the garment being worn on live TV: nine months.
Eslam was clear: this did not make her a fashion designer. She never claimed that. But it was the proof-of-concept moment — evidence that her formula worked. Will plus help plus action equals result.
The kaftan story became the foundation of her confidence as a content creator. It showed that you don't need to be "ready" before you start. You need to start, and become ready along the way.